Burned Alive
by Gabberz720
Summary: Aang has a nightmare. Not really that bad but I'll rate it T for really, really, really mild violence. I guess it could be considered Zukaang, cuz there's snuggling... Just a quick oneshot.


**Hehe ******** I thought it was a cute idea, ok?! Just a quick oneshot :P**

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Zuko turned over in his mat, not able to sleep. He didn't like the ancient bed, and although Aang invited him to sleep with the others outside every night, Zuko declined. He knew the others didn't trust him yet. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling, golden eyes wide open.

Something was bothering him.

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Aang's eyes twitched as he dreamt, turning over in the little mat. He was sleeping in the room next to Zuko. It bothered him that Zuko declined the offer to sleep with himself and the others. So every night he slept in the room next to him. He let out a tiny cry in his sleep.

"_Katara!" Aang screamed as he ran torward the dark pond. Katara stood in the middle on a block of ice, her face frightened beyond belief. Aang reached out to grab her, but before he could grab her wrist, the ice cracked and she fell in, drowning._

"_KATARA!" he screamed. Then he looked up and saw Toph standing on the other side of the pond. The wind blew, moving her hair out of her face to show a blank face. Aang screamed as he earth swallowed her up. He spun around to see Sokka standing there. Ten swords flew out of the air and each sliced through his body. Blood splattered onto Aang's clothes and he let out a mortified shriek. Then he stumbled back and bumped into a body. He spun around to see Zuko, tied up on some sort of wooden poll. Suddenly flames started around him, and his body began to catch on fire. He began to scream Aang's name and pleading for him to help him. But Aang's body wouldn't move and he was forced to watch Zuko burn alive._

"ZUKO!" Aang screamed out as loud as he could, sitting up in his sleep, eyes wide open and glowing white. Sparkling tears slid down his porcelain face and dripped off his chin.

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"ZUKO!" Zuko sat up in bed at the sound of the unmistakable voice of his companion. He sprinted out of and ran down the hall, following the sound of the scream throwing Aang's door open.

Aang was sitting up in his bed, eyes and tattoos glowing with tears dripping off his chin. He was clutching his chest, oer his heart.

"Aang?!" Zuko ran over and kneeled on the bed, staring at Aang wide-eyed. "Wake up! Snap out of it, Aang!" Zuko took Aang's hands and squeezed tightly. "AANG!"

"_AANG!" Zuko cried out, writhing and struggling in the bonds than held him to the pole. The flames were climbing up his neck when suddenly the fire and bonds disappeared and Zuko was standing in front of Aang, unharmed. He grabbed Aang's hands and held them to his chest, closing his eyes. "Aang…"_

"ZUKO!" The white glow disappeared and Aang's big, beautiful grey eyes were visible again. They were still filled with tears as Aang threw his arms around Zuko, burying his face into his bare chest. Zuko stumbled back, surprised, and fell on his back with Aang on top of him. Aang squeezed him tightly, hiding his face in the crook of Zuko's neck and inhaling his scent. "You're ok!"

"Aang…" Zuko lay stiff and let Aang hug him. He sighed and relaxed, slowly wrapping his arms around Aang's back.

"I can't believe you're ok…" Aang mumbled against his body. "…stupid nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Zuko tried to look down but his chin hit the top of Aang's head gently and he groaned softly. "Do…do you want to talk about it?"

Aang sighed against Zuko and his sweet breath warmed Zuko's chest. He shuddered. "Uhm…I don't think so. I don't really want to." His voice was shaky. "It's too… horrible." The back of his eyes stung and Zuko felt fresh, hot tears trickling on his body.

"Are you sure? Talking about it might help." Zuko stroked Aang's back in a soothing matter.

The younger finally pulled away and looked at Zuko, his face troubled. Zuko looked past the dark hair that fell in his face and stared at Aang with curious eyes.

"Ok." Aang pulled his knees to his chest and hugged them. "It started off with me standing in a swamp. Katara was there." Zuko nodded. He knew about the relationship between the two. "She was standing on a piece of ice, and when I reached out for her it disappeared and she drowned." Zuko cringed. "Then I looked on the other side and Toph was there, but her eyes were white and she got swallowed up by the ground. And Sokka was there and he got stabbed all over his body and the blood spattered all over my face and I screamed." Aang's voice was shaking and he stopped.

"Is that it?" Zuko asked after a moment.

"No. But I don't know if you would feel very comfortable hearing the rest."

"Try me."

"Ok. I turned around after Sokka was killed…and you were there." Zuko blinked. "And you were tied to some kind of pole, and suddenly a fire started and it started burning you alive…" He choked on his words. Zuko's eyes widened. "But then when you were trying to wake me up I heard your voice in my dreams, and the fire went away and you lived." Aang sniffed and angrily wiped his tears away, but they kept coming. Zuko immediately pulled Aang into his welcoming arms and let him cry. Sometimes, Zuko forgot that though Aang was the avatar, he was still a child. And Aang had no parents to comfort him like this. He had no one except for his friends. Zuko sighed and hugged the boy tighter.

"Thank you, Zuko," Aang murmured.

"It's no problem, Aang." Zuko stroked his back like he had been doing before.

"No, really. Thank you. I know you're not completely comfortable with our group and stuff and you think we don't trust you. Some of them just need more time to adjust to you. But I trust you one hundred percent, Zuko. And so does Toph. You may think you're alone but you're not."

Zuko didn't say anything. He just clutched Aang tighter, hoping Aang wouldn't notice the hot tears that rolled down his cheeks.


End file.
